Mississippi homeowner finds tenant's body in freezer

Photo of the home in the 14900 block of Althea Street where a man's body was found in a freezer.
Photo credit: WLOX reporter/anchor Jonathan Brannan

LATIMER, Mississippi —

Mississippi authorities and the U.S. Marshals are investigating a disturbing case out of Latimer, Mississippi. A homeowner found his tenant's body inside of an unplugged freezer.

The homeowner, Michael Woods, said he hadn't seen the man in nearly a month, according to our sister station WLOX. Woods called the Jackson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) Monday morning after finding the body inside a home in the 14900 block of Althea Street around 6:30 a.m.

Woods said he walked into the house and was greeted by a "horrible smell". He told investigators he hadn't seen the man, who has not been identified, since March 3.

Video from a nearby drug store on that same day shows the man was wearing the same clothes, investigators say. Latimer is about 20 minutes away from Biloxi.

The victim's 2001 gold Cadillac is missing. Call JCSO at 228-769-3065 or 225-769-3063 if you have information. You can also call Mississippi Gulf Coast Crime stoppers at 877-787-5898.